Category Archives: Johnny Damon

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This week, we’ve seen the 50th anniversary of Dodger Stadium, the 50th Anniversary of the arrival of the Houston Astros and New York Mets (Roger Craig, the first Mets opening day starter, was around to throw out the first pitch), and the 20th anniversary of the opening of Camden Yards – the stadium that launched a score or more of new retro-stadiums. One interesting anniversary – this is the 100th anniversary of the New York Yankees (then still known as the Highlanders or Hilltoppers) adopting pinstripes in their uniforms. They actually used them for just that season, put them away for two years, and then started wearing them in earnest from 1915 forward. The first team to wear pinstripes was the Chicago Cubs, but even the Cubs fan in me recognizes that pinstripes are more of a Yankee thing.

Welcome Back!

Johnny Damon is close to signing a deal with the Cleveland Indians. Damon’s deal includes a full no-trade clause and an “out” clause that allows him to shop for teams once (if?) Grady Sizemore returns from back surgery.

In honor of our co-worker, Faye, who is suffering the same fate, Mighty Casey reports that Buster Posey was held out of his start yesterday while fighting a case of shingles. Heal quickly, both of you!!!

Happy Birthday!!!

Belated birthday wishes to those celebrating yesterday, including:

(1875) Ossee Schreckengost – Rube Waddell’s catcher and part-time chapperone with the As. I have an Ossee baseball card from 1909.
(1876) Win Kellum
(1916) Sam Chapman
(1951) Sid Monge
(1964) Bret Saberhagen – I miss that guy. Great pitcher.
(1972) Jason Varitek
(1974) Trot Nixon
(1976) Kelvim Escobar
(1984) Alejandro De Aza – now on the White Sox, I remember pulling for him when he was coming up with the Marlins.

Those celebrating with cake, cards, and remembrances today include:

(1876) Vic Willis
(1880) Addie Joss
(1926) Walt “Moose” Moryn – as a member of the Cubs, Moose hauled in the 27th out off his shoetops – a line drive off the bat of Joe Cunningham – to save a Don Cardwell no-hitter on May 15th. Cardwell had just joined the Cubs two days earlier in a trade for Tony Taylor. I can still hear Jack Brickhouse’s call rooting for Moose to make the grab – “There’s a drive on the line to left… C’mon Moose – he did it! He did it! He makes the catch and it’s a no-hitter! …Oh brother what a catch he made!!!” The video of the last at bat is still a gas to watch…

While in India on work, I started looking up a unique name that came up in a birthday list, that of Dorsey Riddlemoser. I just didn’t get it done until last night.

Dorsey Riddlemoser had a very brief major league career, making a single start in August, 1899 for the Washington Senators. This was when the Senators were in their final season in the National League. At that point, owner and National League President Nick Young knew the fate of Washington’s team – they were going to be contracted, along with the Cleveland Spiders and possibly two other teams (eventually, Baltimore and Louisville were also closed out). In his outing, Riddlemoser got shelled – seven hits, four runs, giving up a couple of walks in two innings of work.

Riddlemoser was born 25 March 1875 and played sandlot and semi-pro ball in his hometown of Frederick, MD. When not playing baseball, Riddlemoser worked as an assistant fireman and with the Union Foundry and Stove works plant. Washington decided to give Riddlemoser, by then a reasonably accomplished local ballplayer a shot.

It may not have worked out there, but Riddlemoser was dispatched to the minors, hooking up with Allentown, PA. There, he would pitch for a couple of years – in one game he faced a fellow Frederick pitcher named Dorsey Robinson who pitched for the Cuban X Giants. The Giants won…

When his days as a player were over, Riddlemoser returned to his hometown where he was an active member of the Democratic Party. He was frequently selected to be a delegate to various conventions – and the party rewarded him with various city appointments, the last being a twelve year run as the janitor for City Hall from 1931 to 1943.

Riddlemoser was a late bloomer as regards his family life. He married Ruth Talmadge Riggs in 1925 – he was 50 at the time – and they soon had a son and daughter. His son, Dorsey, Jr., graduated high school in 1943 and immediately entered the U.S. Navy where he was regularly promoted, making it to Sergeant and serving as a tailgunner on a B-29 Superfortress. That plane flew a number of missions against Japanese locations in the South Pacific, but ran out of luck in May or June, 1945 while flying a mission over Tinian in the Marianas. The younger Dorsey’s grave is with his fellow airmen in the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetary in St. Louis.

As for the original Dorsey Lee Riddlemoser, he carried on in retirement, saddened by the loss of his son, until his death in 1954.

I was flipping through the list of remaining free agents (as of 1/16/2012) and tried to field the best team possible with those players still available. Here’s what you can do…

Catcher:

The best hitting catcher is probably Ramon Castro, who I see as a DH but can catch some. You have a couple of receivers with good defensive skills but a limited offensive outlook (Ivan Rodriguez, Jason Varitek) and a couple of catchers who have recently been regulars (Chris Snyder, Ronny Paulino). If you took Castro and Rodriguez, at least you’d have someone who could work with the pitchers and throw, and you’d have a decent enough backup who could help put a few runs on the board.

First Baseman:

With Prince Fielder still available, you have the centerpiece of an offense – but you still have some competent backups. Casey Kotchman seems to have found his hitting stroke, and Carlos Pena could help in a platoon role (can’t hit lefties, though). If you weren’t willing to pony up $20 million per year for Fielder, a platoon of Pena and Derrek Lee might give you depth and a solid platoon.

Second Baseman:

Not a lot to choose from here… The best player is probably Carlos Guillen, but he’s only going to play 40 games (not to be mean here, but his injury history is becoming problematic). That leaves you with someone who can, at best, not embarrass you with the glove – Jeff Keppinger, for example – and even play a couple of positions since you may need some flexibility.

Third Baseman:

If you thought the pickings were thin at second, it’s even thinner at third base now. Casey Blake has had a couple of good years, and Wilson Betemit can swing the bat. After that, it’s guys who used to be able to play some (Eric Chavez, Alex Cora, Omar Vizquel).

Shortstop:

Three guys who can’t really cover the position anymore – Orlando Cabrera, Edgar Renteria, and Miguel Tejada. The best overall option is probably Cabrera – or letting him play second and moving Keppinger over to play short.

Outfielders:

There are still a few players here who could contribute, but most of these guys are past prime players and few have the wheels to cover center. However, Johnny Damon could still play left, Cody Ross can play right or center (though he’s running out of years he’ll be able to cover center). Kosuke Fukudome is a fantastic right fielder and can still bat leadoff. Behind that you have a couple of guys who could be good fourth outfielders and pinch hitting types – Jonny Gomes, Andruw Jones, Juan Pierre. If you needed a defensive guy, Joey Gathright is there. And, if you want to take a real chance, you could go for Yoenis Cespedes.

A lineup as listed below would score some runs, and probably fight the defense to a draw.

A couple recent signings has killed off much of the top remaining pitchers, but you still have a few guys who can win games. I see a rotation that includes the following as having some potential:

Roy Oswalt
Edwin Jackson
Jon Garland
Joe Saunders
Livan Hernandez

And I’d give a sixth spot to Rich Harden – pitch him until something breaks (which it will). Or, you could take Harden’s stuff and make a closer out of him. Your emergency arm might be Kevin Millwood – I just don’t know if he has one more year left. I’d stash him in AAA until Rich Harden breaks down… The staff is really missing an ace, but you have two guys who can win at the top and three guys who can give you 650 innings at the bottom, which helps the bullpen.

Relievers:

The signing of Ryan Madson takes away the best available closer, but you can do a bullpen by committee and hope someone takes charge. I see the top six arms as follows:

The Red Sox lost, 1 – 0, to Cleveland yesterday – the winning run scored on a suicide squeeze play in the eighth, and the Red Sox had the tying run on in the ninth, only to have him picked off. That means Boston hits today’s home opener against the rival New York Yankees at 0 – 6.

For my friend Amy Travis, here’s a link to a FoxSports article by Jon Paul Morosi saying that the Red Sox stink.

My other pick to make the playoffs from the AL East, the Tampa Rays, also lost to the White Sox and – like the Sox – are still winless and 0 – 6. After the game, veteran outfielder Johnny Damon told the team to stick together. [FoxSports/MESN/YardBarker]

Houston got it’s first win, finally, by sneaking one past the Reds – who finally lost a game.

OUCH!!!

Tsuyoshi Nishioka, rookie infielder for the Twins and recent Japanese import, stood his ground near second base and took a hard slide from Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher. Because Nish had just planted his foot on a throw (slightly striding toward Swisher instead of hopping over him), the end result was nasty – Swisher accidentally breaking Nishioka’s left leg. Everyone is on record as saying that, while the slide was hard, it wasn’t dirty and there is plenty of remorse to go around.

Jerry White, a coach for the Twins with some Japanese experience, said that one of the differences between MLB and Japanese baseball is that you rarely, if ever, see a hard slide into a fielder to break up a double play – not that everyone does it here either. (Unless you were a Royals fan in the Hal McRae era, that is…) So, Nishioka would not have naturally felt the urgency to avoid the slide. [MLB]

Coming up from AAA Rochester is Luke Hughes, a seven-year minor league veteran in the Twins chain. An undrafted free agent in 2002, Hughes can play second or third, has a little pop in his bat, but really is just organizational depth and not a prospect. Matt Tolbert will likely get the bulk of the starts, though.

Toronto shortstop Yunel Escobar will miss a week under the new MLB concussion policy after he was diagnosed with a mild concussion after sliding into third base and banging his head into the knee of Andy LaRoche. MLB has to clear Escobar to play at the end of the seven day period. [ESPN]

Phillies closer Brad Lidge’s shoulder problems should leave him not throwing until the all-star break. Lidge told reporters that his posterior rotator cuff strain requires him to not throw for up to six weeks, after which he can resume a rehabilitation process.

The Next Great Washington National…

Bryce Harper had two hits, including an RBI single in his first at bat, and a stolen base in his first professional game. The Hagerstown Suns beat the Rome Braves, 3 – 2, in the opening game of the South Atlantic League season. Apparently, MLB was there to capture a number of the artifacts (bases, balls, jerseys, bats, hot dog wrappers…) for use in auctions later in the season. [MLB]

Who Knew?

First – which among us knew that Brad Penny was engaged to Dancing With the Stars dancer Karina Smirnoff? He is – just another reason for him to be among my favorite pitchers in baseball. Now comes word, straight from Hugh Hefner’s Twitter account, that Smirnoff will appear nude in the May Playboy. No WONDER Penny is off to such a rough start… [FoxSports]

The Rays got off to a great start, winning 17 of 23 in April and extending their hot play into May where, on May 23rd, they went to sleep in first place with a 32 – 12 record. An 11 – 14 stumble in June let the rest of the league back in the race, but once July started, the Rays went back to the front of the division, going 19 – 7, followed by a 17 – 12 August. From there, the Rays seemed to run out of steam, but played .500 ball after September 1st as the Yankees collapsed to take the division crown.

In terms of mid-season transactions, the Rays mostly unloaded parts that weren’t working. They released Pat Burrell and Hank Blalock, for example. They did get Chad Qualls at the trading deadline, but he wasn’t much help down the stretch.

As a team, they hit homers and drew walks, but went through stretches where they couldn’t hit. The Rays were on the wrong end of two no-hitters despite being one of only three teams to score 800 runs. They have pitchers who throw strikes, a rather deep bullpen, and an AMAZING team defense. These two items, as I have written before, make their staff look stronger than it really is.

Starters:

The rotation featured David Price, who had Cy Young worthy numbers in terms of wins (19), ERA (2.72), and strikeouts (188 in 208.2 innings). Price was backed by Matt Garza (15 – 10, 3.91), James Shields (13 – 15, 5.18), Jeff Niemann (12 – 8, 4.39), and rookie Wade Davis (12 – 10, 4.07). However, knowing that the Rays made few errors and turned 14 balls per 1000 into outs more than the average team AND they played in a park that helped the staff, you realize that many of those pitchers aren’t quite as good as advertised. James Shields was more than 50 runs worse than the average pitcher because he puts a lot of balls into play, and he served up 34 homers. Niemann was 19 runs worse than the average pitcher, and Matt Garza – the new Cub – was 14 runs worse than the average pitcher. Wade Davis was also -11.

This isn’t new – I wrote about this a couple of years ago when the Rays made the series. A good defense can make a bunch of pitchers who keep the ball in the park and don’t walk people look very good.

Looking ahead, Matt Garza moved to Chicago where he might get to serve up 50 homers. At least he’s durable. The rest of the rotation returns intact, joined by Jeremy Hellickson, who looked great in his 4 starts last summer. Assuming Shields bounces back some (he can), Davis and Niemann show more growth (possible), and Hellickson remains tolerable over 160 innings, the rotation should be 30 runs better than last year.

Bullpen:

On the other hand, the bullpen was amazing in 2010. Rafael Soriano saved 45 games, supported by Joaquin Benoit and his 1.34 ERA in 63 innings. Dan Wheeler gave them 64 fair innings, Grant Balfour remained dependable, and even Randy Choate and Lance Cormier weren’t horrible. Most of this staff is gone. Right now, the closer looks to be Joel Peralta, the former Royal, Angel, and Rockies reliever who had his best season in 2010 with the Nationals last year – fanning 49 and walking just 9 (4 intentionally) in 49 innings. In front of Peralta is journeyman fireballer, Kyle Farnsworth who has NEVER been as good as Benoit was last year. Andy Sonnenstine, who has a very hittable fastball, is there, with a bunch of newcomers, including Ceasr Ramos and Adam Russell, who came from San Diego for Jason Bartlett. Jake McGee, two years removed from Tommy John surgery, converted to the pen in 2010 and made it to the big leagues. He’s a power lefty with a nice curveball. Chris Archer is another hard thrower who might get time in the bullpen this year. If the starters are going to improve by 30 runs, the bullpen cannot – and no matter what Manager Joe Maddon’s magic, this group will be 50 runs worse than in 2010.

Catching:

John Jaso earned his way ahead of Dioner Navarro and Kelly Shoppach by catching well enough and getting on base at a .375 clip. Teams ran on Jaso some, and the young Jaso has much to learn, but he helps out. Kelly Shoppach struggled at the plate, but did hit 5 homers in 158 at bats. Navarro is gone.

Infield:

A couple of years ago, the infield was a solid Evan Longoria, Jason Bartlett, Akinori Iwamura, and Carlos Pena. Now, only Longoria – an MVP candidate – remains. Longoria can hit and field with the best of them and even stole 15 bases in 20 tries. Bartlett’s bat and glove has fallen off in recent years since he injured his ankle in 2009 and will be replaced by Reid Brignac, who is younger, just as good a hitter, and more mobile. Sean Rodriguez got a chance to play the infield and hits for some power, can run the bases, and is solid in the field. Mr. Everywhere, Ben Zobrist, backs them both up. Carlos Pena is gone, to be replaced by either Dan Johnson (a patient power hitter who, like Pena, failed to hit .200 last year), and possibly Johnny Damon. I think the offense will remain solid, though it could lose 20 runs at first base overall if Johnson can’t improve in 2011.

Outfield:

Carl Crawford had an MVP-type campaign in 2010, fielding as well as any left fielder, and generating nearly 130 runs of offense with the bat (average and some power) as well as his feet (47 steals). He’s in Boston now, with Johnny Damon taking over. Damon is okay, but not anywhere near what Crawford can provide – and he’s going to need time off. Options include Matt Joyce or Sam Fuld. In center, B.J. Upton is still frustratingly productive. He is an above average offensive performer – quick bat, power, speed – but frustrating in that he strikes out a LOT, keeping his average under .240. Defensively, he remains above average but, again, doesn’t seem to be as good as he could be. In right, Ben Zobrist fell off from his 2009 season in terms of average and power, but still was productive because he plays solid defense and gets on base. (I’d let Joyce play left all year and see if he can hit 30 homers knowing he’s a better fielder than Damon, too. Damon can DH and back up three positions, even providing some production.)

DH:

Pat Burrell couldn’t cut it and Hank Blalock wasn’t the answer. Willy Aybar fell off last year, though Matt Joyce might have been a decent answer if they let him do it. Looking ahead, though, the Rays took a cheap flyer on the craziest great hitter of the last two decades, Manny Ramirez. Say what you will about him, Manny can STILL hit. He missed a lot of time last year, but when he left Los Angeles, he was hitting .311, with a .410 OBA, and a .510 SLG. He didn’t hit as well with the White Sox, but he had a .420 OBP. He won’t do that in Tampa, but he could certainly go 20 – 110 – .285, with walks and doubles. Johnny Damon could platoon some with him, letting Matt Joyce play left field.

Down on the Farm:

Jeremy Hellickson we noted – the new fifth starter for the Rays – as he went 12 – 3 with 123Ks in 117.2 innings for AAA Durham. Desmond Jennings, a potential Carl Crawford clone, fell off in terms of his batting average, but he still gets on base and he can FLY.

Jake McGee made it from Montgomery in AA through Durham before getting a cup of coffee with the Rays. In AA, McGee fanned 100 in 88.1 innings, showed good command (getting better, anyway), and looked awesome in 11 AAA appearances (27Ks, 3 walks, one ER in 17.1 innings). Alex Torres and Alexander Cobb were solid for Montgomery, winning records, good strikeout rates. Cobb has better control, but both are young and will spend 2011 in Durham.

Former #1 pick Tim Beckham finished his season with A+ Charlotte and seems to have stalled, but having watched him in the minors, he sure is the one guy on the field you can’t help but notice. He’s still only 21, so there is time for a step forward. The best of Charlotte is the young staff, led by Matt Moore, who fanned 208 in 144.2 innings with his powerful fastball and curveball. Joe Cruz showed solid command, going 13 – 6 – 2.85 in his 142 innings and will start 2011 in AA. Then you have reliever Zach Quate, who fanned 90 in 72.1 innings, saving 25 games, with great control.

Forecasting 2011:

I don’t see how the Rays are going to repeat winning the AL East crown in 2011, but they won’t be bad and they should take a Wild Card spot. The rotation may be slightly better, but the bullpen will be well off from last year. The defense will be better at short (Brignac is better than Bartlett), but worse in left (Damon or Joyce instead of Crawford) and I’m not sure Johnson is better than an aging Carlos Pena at first. The catching might improve a touch, and more Jaso is better than more Dioner Navarro offensively. The Rays are better at DH.

I see the offense being good, but a touch worse – maybe 770 runs. And the runs allowed number will likely go up by 30 runs to about 680. That puts the Rays at 91 wins, which some will see as a surprise – but not me.

Has it been that long since Kenny Rogers was doctoring baseballs in the World Series?

More to the current team – last year the Tigers were 52 – 29 at home, and 29 – 52 on the road, with comparable splits in terms of runs scored/allowed. The Tigers were +82 in runs at home, and – 74 in runs on the road.

Runs Scored: 751 (8th in the AL)Runs Allowed: 743 (10th in the AL)

You’d think that a team that was below average in offense and defense would have a record slightly below .500, but the Tigers held on for dear life to stay at .500.

Season Recap:

The Tigers were picked by many to compete for the AL Central crown, but most people had them second or third. After a reasonably good April, the Tigers gave back games in May, won a few more than they lost in June, and then just kind of stayed just off the fringe of the race until August. By then, they had lost Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Guillen. The Scott Sizemore experiment was a disaster, which didn’t help, and despite the best efforts of Miguel Cabrera, the offense couldn’t deliver down the stretch.

The Tigers were a team that got on rolls – good and bad. They would win a bunch of games and make a run to the top. Five of six off the start, six in a row in early May, eight of nine against Pittsburgh, Washington and Arizona (I mean – WOW – Detroit had an easy interleague schedule) to move to 37 – 29. The fourth streak, in early July, put the Tigers at 48 – 37 one day before the All-Star break. Unfortunately, the Tigers lost all momentum – losing seven in a row and 20 of 25 to fall out of the race by early August. Toward the end of the season, Detroit rattled off eight wins in nine games to get to 80 – 75, but lost six in a row and had to win the last game of the season to get to .500.

Starters:

Justin Verlander is a legitimate ace, saving his team 20 runs over league average pitching and winning 67% of his decisions. Max Scherzer, acquired from Arizona, is a solid #2 starter and was a start away from 200 innings, which he should make in 2011. Rick Porcello wasn’t as good as hoped, but there are things to build on. Armando Galarraga, he of the perfect game that wasn’t, was a moderately below average pitcher in part because he, like Porcello, pitches too much to contact and doesn’t miss bats with pitches. Jeremy Bonderman made a comeback season, but in a painful way – an ERA of 5.53 pitching in a decent pitcher’s park and with a reasonably good defense behind him – he was 32 runs worse than an average starter of his 171 innings. An extra run a start. Ouch. Two others made a few starts, Dontrelle Willis – who is gone – and Andrew Oliver, who should be back in AAA.

Looking ahead, Verlander, Scherzer, and Porcello return, to be joined by reliever Phil Coke – a decent middle reliever – and former quality starter, Brad Penny. I’ve always been a fan of Penny’s (works very fast, throws strikes), but I don’t know if his body can handle the load. He’s turning into Rick Reuschel, which can’t be good either. However, he’s a better bet to be successful than Jeremy Bonderman. The problem may be finding a sixth starter option.

Relievers:

The bullpen is led by closer Jose Valverde, a very good finisher, and imported setup man, Joaquin Benoit – a shut down 8th inning option. After that, Joel Zumaya is still around (albeit a chance to get injured), and a few others are there to mop up, including Daniel Schlereth (a decent enough lefty with gobs of upside), Ryan Perry, and Brad Thomas or Eddie Bonine.

Catching:

Alex Avila earned the job full time, and his backup will be DH Victor Martinez. Avila has tolerable defensive skills, but needs to step up some with the batting average – which would start with striking out less.

Infield:

Miguel Cabrera is arguably the best hitter in baseball, and last year seemed to have beaten whatever demons befell him at the end of 2009. Of course, he blew that heading to spring training, but he should still be able to hit the ball in 2011. The Tigers missed Placido Polanco, a solid defensive player who chipped in by hitting around .300. Last year, Scott Sizemore earned a shot, but gave it away by showing less than acceptable range and hitting .224 and striking out about 28% of the time. Carlos Guillen played a little at second before his body gave way and Will Rhymes took over. In the minors, Rhymes was never Sizemore’s equal in terms of being a prospect, but at the majors, Rhymes was a better fielder and hitter. Looking ahead, the same three guys are back – and someone will have to back up Guillen when he breaks down in June or July. (Look, I like Guillen, but this is what happens when you get old. If he plays 140 games, the Tigers will benefit greatly, but I don’t know that he can do it.) Jhonny Peralta returns to play short for the full year – not a solid defender anymore but can still put some runs on the board. Brandon Inge returns to play third base – fielding well, hitting a few homers, but otherwise being an ordinary player.

Looking at this, the problem is that the front four are (a) on the down side of their career, or (b) trying to age faster than he has to by adding weight and drinking heavily. This can’t be a good sign if you are a Tigers fan.

Outfield:

Austin Jackson was fantastic last year – a lot of hits, decent defense, and flashes of brilliant speed (10 triples, 27 stolen bases). He is among the best centerfielders in the AL. Right fielder Magglio Ordonez is getting long in the tooth, still can hit, but his defense is problematic. And he can’t DH as much as you’d want because Victor Martinez was brought in to be the DH. In left, either Ryan Raburn or Brennan Boesch, who are essentially the same player, will get to play. Raburn is marginally better – higher average, slightly better glove – but you wouldn’t complain (as a pitcher) if your outfield were Raburn, Jackson, and Boesch.

DH:

Did I mention that Victor Martinez was brought in to be the DH? He replaces Johnny Damon, who heads to Tampa because everyone from the east heads to Florida to retire. Martinez should contribute more than Damon, but not a TON more. Martinez played in Boston and generated about 83.4 runs of offense, while Damon played in Detroit and generated 79.7 runs.

Down on the Farm:

Alfredo Figaro looked like the best pitching prospect at AAA Toledo, but even with a decent W/L record and K/W data, his ERA was the same as the team average and when he got a cup of coffee with the big club, he was treated rudely by batters. The best hitters are on the Tigers – Scott Sizemore and Will Rhymes. Not a lot of immediate help here…

Heading to AA Erie, the most interesting person there might be outfielder Brandon Douglas. He has NO power. None. What he has is amazing contact skills and has hit .331 in his several stops in the minors. I can’t tell how good a fielder he is – he’s bounced around between second and short, which means he’s a second baseman in the bigs. If he’s ANY good at all, in a year or two he could be the next Placido Polanco.

Another guy who could be interesting is pitcher Adam Wilk. Wilk made 14 starts in low A ball after coming out of Long Beach State and struck out 67 and walked just seven batters. He had comparable numbers at A+ Lakeland (100Ks, 19 walks in 24 starts), and then slid into AA for three starts – and all were successful. He’s not making the Tigers in 2011, but he COULD make the team in 2012 and be a good fourth or third starter.

Last year’s #1 pick Jacob Turner did what you wanted to see in his first year of professional ball, and will likely start 2011 in A+ Lakeland before moving to Erie mid-season. Second round pick Andrew Oliver is moving quickly through the system and was given a cup of coffee in 2010 with the parent club.

Season Forecast:

I’m not convinced that Detroit will compete. Inge, Guillen, Peralta, and even Cabrera are candidates to regress from 2010. That could be 20 runs defensively and 40 runs offensively. The outfield will stay the same – the gains in center field and possibly left are offset by the potential losses in right field. Then you get to the pitching staff, and I don’t see how Coke is better than Galarraga and even though Penny is better than Bonderman – how many starts will that be? 10? 20? 30? The sixth starter option doesn’t appeal to me – so if it’s 10, the pitching won’t be much better in 2011 than it was last year.

Given this, I think the Tigers will score about 720 runs and allow about 760, which is about 77 wins. It’s not too unreasonable to think it could be worse, especially if Cabrera misses a significant amount of time or plays below the level we are used to seeing. This team could injure it’s way out and suffer through six months that were as bad as the Tigers were in July and August. That’s a 70 – 90 team.

Where can you find optimism? Brad Penny making 30 starts, Rick Porcello getting a bit better, Guillen and Ordonez not only maintaining batting skills but playing 130 games each, and Ryan Raburn bouncing up in his numbers. If ALL those things happened, the Tigers could win 85 games. I just think that’s a lot to ask for.

29 – 115 – .300, but seemed to slow as the season wore on. Didn’t get resigned, so he’s now getting a shot with Baltimore. He’ll be okay, but a notch below his 2010 production.

David Ortiz – BOS (98.4 Runs Created)

One day, the slow start will be a slow season. For now, he remains a very productive hitter.

Hideki Matsui – LAA (86.2 Runs Created)

Still a potent bat, with fair power and a discerning eye at the plate. Now the DH in Oakland, which seemed like a good idea at the time. Will be 37 in June, and his stats won’t look as good in Oakland, which may hasten his decline.

Luke Scott – BAL (84.7 Runs Created)

Can play the corner outfield positions (though not well) and first base in a pinch.

Jim Thome – MIN (73,0 Runs Created)

Shared role with Jason Kubel in a platoon role, though after Justin Morneau went down, Kubel played more in the field, too. Can still tattoo a fastball to the opposite field, and is the complete professional hitter. Approaching 600 homers with no sign of slowing down. Of course, the 40s aren’t always friendly to batters.

Travis Hafner – CLE (69.3 Runs Created)

Platooned, which is why his totals are less than the rest – but he’s platooned for a reason.

Damon got most of the licks here in 2010, but Ordonez may get the bulk of them in 2011.

Jack Cust – OAK (62.7 Runs Created)

Hits for power, draws a few walks, swings through a lot of strikes. Now gets to play full time in Seattle, where he may get more playing time. I wouldn’t be suprised at 25 – 95 in 2011.

Jose Guillen – KC (53.9 Runs Created)

Guillen shared it with a few others – look for Billy Butler or Kila (Mt.) Ka’aihue to get the bulk of the at bats next year.

The Yankees shared the role amongst a number of players, including Jorge Posada, Marcus Thames, and any of their aging stars needing a day or three off while keeping a bat in the lineup. Thames was very productive, and the other hitters are all pretty good.

The Mariners shared the role amongst a few players, including Mike Sweeney, Ken Griffey, Milton Bradley and Russell Branyan. None of that really worked out well, so Jack Cust has been imported for 2011.

The Rays shared the role with a variety of fourth outfielders and extra infielders – sometimes to good effect. For 2011, Manny Ramirez and/or Johnny Damon (mostly Manny) will get the at bats. Manny can’t stay healthy, he has an insanity streak, but can still hit really, really well. We’ll see if he’s got one more good year left in the tank, or if he gets bored. Or just old.

Which player had the better contract season, Crawford or Adrian Beltre? Maybe it was Jose Bautista… Did what he always does, only with a few more homers and triples. Nobody compares them, but Crawford and Johnny Damon are extremely similar players. Well – the Damon of a few years ago, anyway.

Kind of like Juan Pierre, but with a touch more power and a bit more range. Led the AL in hitting early on, earning a trip to a contender – that flopped upon his arrival. Returns to the AL with Toronto in 2011. Turns 35 in spring training, which should give you pause, but has retained his speed and skill thus far. Alex Gordon got the spot after Podsednik left and proved he still isn’t a prospect.

Bobby Abreu, if he were a regular left fielder, would rank about here (85.2 Total Runs Productivity).

Still can run (68 stolen bases), still slaps singles but not at the rate he once did. Unless he hits .310, he’s not that valuable, but he still gets 650 at bats because he has a great work ethic and people think his speed makes up for a complete lack of power and a bunch of ground outs.

A better leadoff hitter than Derek Jeter, and the best #9 hitter in baseball. Gets on base, runs like the wind, and covers plenty of ground. The new Brett Butler. If he had 650 at bats rather than 450 (not that you can tell Jeter he’s batting ninth), would have created about 100 runs. One day, he will.

Heads to Tampa where he and/or Manny Ramirez will share the field and DH duties. Not as mobile as he used to be as a myriad of leg injuries are sapping him of his old speed, but he’s still a quality bat. Damon’s power, never great, is tolerable and he now works the count like a veteran who is losing his ability to catch up to a fastball. Not sure how many years he has left and wouldn’t be surprised if his career runs out of steam. 29 hits from 2600.

Took his batting and fielding to new levels – albeit in different directions. Hit .298 with power, driving in 112 runs – by far his best season. Also avoided fly balls at a career worst rate. Hard to believe he’s really that bad in left, but he just doesn’t get to anything.

Decent hitter, average glove (don’t let the runs saved number fool you, it was his best season since 2006 and usually is a shade under league average). Another guy moving to Toronto where he might explode for a year.

Played more in right field – nearly full time combined. He’s got mid-range power, can cover some ground, a bit better eye than Ryan Raburn. If nothing else, when the Tigers kept Damon or Ordonez as a DH, they had a young and mobile outfield. Damon is gone now, so both Raburn and Boesch will get 550 at bats rather than 400.

Saved what looked to be a dead career with a strong start as an unplanned outfielder in Cleveland and wound up an insurance extra outfielder for the Yankees. Showed surprising range in the outfield and contributed by hitting for a little power and getting on base. He hasn’t been consistently productive, but if he plays like he did in 2010, he’ll have a job for a few more years. Heck, he probably got two years of contracts out of this season alone.

Played a lot of left, but also snuck innings in at second base (not badly), third, first, center, and right. A decent hitter, too – sowed power and hit .280. Will get more time in 2011 – might be worth a late look in your fantasy leagues.

Fourteen guys played left field for Oakland, led by Rajai Davis at 320.1 innings – but Davis also split time in center with Coco Crisp, leading the team in innings there, too. Josh Willingham would appear to have the job in 2011 (62.7 Total Runs Productivity). Willingham hits, plays hard, is a consumate professional, but with a stiff back is really not a good outfielder.

Has speed, but will probably show little growth as a hitter since he’s already 27 and wasn’t a world beater in the minors, Crowe played more centerfield but was just a few innings from leading the Indians in time spent in left field as well. At this point, he’s a much better defensive player than Grady Sizemore, but he needs to increase either his on base percentage or slugging percentage to be worth giving 1000 innings in the field. He’s really a fifth outfielder at best.

Doesn’t hit for much power, doesn’t get on base enough, runs a little but not a ton. Didn’t field his position well in 2010 (was slightly below average in 2008, slightly above in 2009). Fourth outfielder at best.

A bit of power and decent range in the outfield made up for a low batting average – strikes out a lot. Never had a GREAT year in the minors and I’d be hard pressed to believe he’s really a 20 homer guy. I think he might improve – but that means .240 with 15 homers, which isn’t good enough.

Awkwardly effective in the outfield (runs fast, plays the ball well, but hates diving and walls), and a disappointing hitter – won’t be in the majors after next year, probably, unless he can turn himself into Jay Johnstone. And Hermida’s not that funny.

Got the most innings when Jacoby Ellsbury went out with more maladies than a guest star on House. Not that strong a hitter, for someone who is fast Nava didn’t look comfortable playing in Boston’s oddly shaped left field.